My father, Alfred D. Sheridan, was drafted at the age of 18 on August 3rd, 1943 and went on to serve in L Company, Third Battalion, 358th Infantry of the 90th Division. His division landed on Utah Beach in Normandy on D-Day Plus 2 (June 8th, 1944). He was wounded at the Battle of Hill 122 on the Cherbourg Peninsula (not far from the beaches of Normandy) on July 13th, 1944. He received a Purple Heart and a Bronze Star Medal for "Meritorious Achievement in Ground Operations Against The Enemy on or about July 13th, 1944" and returned to the front on August 13th, 1944.

The 90th Division slowly made it's way across France towards the border with Germany crossing the Moselle River in November 1944. He was again wounded on another 13th - December 13th, 1944 during fighting along the Siegfried Line - the heavily fortified German line of defense along its border with France. He described being shot in the right arm like being hit with a sledgehammer. When he could no longer write letters home with his right hand, his mother joked that she could finally read his handwriting - left handed and all.

When he returned to the front for the second time, my dad thought his number was up and did not look forward as the 13th of another month approached. The War in Eurupe ended on his birthday - May 9th, 1945 - VE Day. His division then made preparations to be transferred to the Pacific to fight the Japanese, but the war ended in August 1945 and her eventually returned home to the Bronx in December 1945.

Dedication

Editor's Note: The Information contained in this website was culled from the history pamphlets my father received from The 90th Division, The 358th Infantry, and The Third Battalion. The Photographs are from my father's personal collection. A special thanks to Norm Richards, son of Clyde A. Richards 358 D Co., and David Bragg, son of Eldridge Bragg 358 L Co., for all their assistance.

Daniel A. Sheridan

Sources:

1. Battle History of The Third Battalion-358th Infantry-90th Division
2. The Story of the 90th Infantry Division
3. Peragimus -'We Accomplish'- A Brief History of the 358th Infantry